Switcher Saturday September 2, 2023

The Illinois Railway Museum CB&Q SW-7

Happy Switcher Saturday!!!!

Here’s a Lionel Santa Fe NW2 #623 switcher on a siding on our 4’ x 4’ layout.
cheers!

Bob, thanks for being our Yardmaster this morning and starting up my favorite topic, Switcher Saturday.

Below is a video of a beautifully detailed  switcher, an LC+ Erie Camelback, hauling  Atlas beer reefers, MTH box cars, and a Lionel Erie smoking caboose, passed the ole ball park:

Arnold

Thanks for notching us out, Bob, and featuring your WbB Rutland 70-tonner! Here's my favorite little lady, Tropic-Ana, bringing us the beverages for today's proceedings:

Tropic-Ana sez enjoy your OJ and coffee with cream! Happy Labor Day SWSAT, all!

A Pennsy K-Line 0-4-0 Switcher from long ago (20+ years) with a work train……with cars from MTH, K-Line, Lionel, and Weaver……

Have a great and safe Labor Day weekend, everyone!

Peter

Happy Switcher Saturday and have an enjoyable Labor Day Weekend.

New York Central #9110 is an MTH Railking model with PS3 (30-21010-1, MSRP $399.95, 2023) of a Fairbanks-Morse H10-44 (1000 horsepower, 4 axles, 4 traction motors). I especially like the tall look of this high-hood locomotive on which the hood extends up to the cab roof to enclose the tall opposed-piston diesel motor. Alco built a high-hood diesel before World War 2 and I would like to have an O gauge model of that one too (not yet made).

New York Central #9110 was built in February 1950. The model is lettered as class DES-14C but NYC records indicate that it was delivered as class DES-14E. Tractive effort was 72,000 pounds for starting and 34,600 pounds continuous at 8.3 miles-per-hour and 766 horsepower. Maximum speed was 60 miles-per-hour but NYC H10-44s were restricted to 45 miles-per-hour. Idling engine speed was 350 RPM with full power developed at 800 RPM.  FM built 195 units between 1944 and 1950. NYC #9110 was retired in 1967.

Photos and videos show the engine running at 17 scale miles-per-hour on my 10’-by-5’ layout pulling a new MTH Premier New York Central #19877 wood-sided caboose – one of four similar models that I purchased recently.

MELGAR

Happy Labor Day edition of switcher Saturday and thanks again to Bob for kicking things off in JHZs absence. This week, we employed our switcher fleet to test an MTH caboose that was modified to prevent it from hopping over switches. The modifications were outlined on a different thread and this particular caboose would annoyingly jump when going over all 031 switches.  Applying the suggested tweaks really improved tracking, particularly over the most offending switch track.

Here is my boxcab taking the caboose for a successful front and back test run on a the turn part of this particularly switch track. You’ll notice some slight bumping but this is light years better than the unprototypical  hopping it would do on this switch (unfortunately  no before video) -

And here is my trusty 0-6-0 testing her on the straight track portion of this switch with equally superb results -

Fantastic improvement and decent tracking  for a previously annoying performance by this caboose.

TALES OF THE DOCKSIDER

Happy Labor Day weekend, SwSat nation!  Your Yardmaster has noticed a lot of recent interest in the Forum about  for Lionel’s 0-6-0 T switchers, so he went to the archives for photos of his sole example (he needs another), famous shop switcher X-8688.

The photos depict X-8688 and her crew on their favorite assignment, hauling disabled, larger motive power back to the shop.  These photos date back to your Yardmaster’s first ventures in this wonderful thread, Spring 2020.

John

80 tonner getting rebuilt in Industry, NY.

Pete

Happy Switcher Saturday!  CN Alco S-2 is moving a few hoppers to the yard.

Some bright and exciting liveries from our switchers today.

Who says switchers lead a drab existance.  Thank you all for agreat SWSAT so far.

Nice start RSJB18! PW Lionel Erie picking up freight.

A highly unlikely situation arose last night at Arnold Cribari's Yankee Stadium. It seems a prominent group of midwest businessmen attending the game were very disappointed they couldn't get a mid western beer instead of Ballantine. So they ordered a car load of Blatz from Milwaukee to be rushed to the ball park before the first pitch is thrown out today. The only available rail power was this Lionel D&H camelback which is seen here rushing toward and interchange with the New York Central to get the beer delivered.  They still won't be happy when they find out no visiting team ever wins in Arnie's stadium

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EVJ8L2C6uEFbgT2f

Another attempt at getting my SS video posted from above. I could never make a living this way.

ahttps://photos.app.goo.gl/EVJ8L2C6uEFbgT2f7

@Bill Park posted:

Another attempt at getting my SS video posted from above. I could never make a living this way.

ahttps://photos.app.goo.gl/EVJ8L2C6uEFbgT2f7

Strike two Bill.......pun intended......

My final attempt at this with a different video

https://photos.app.goo.gl/e5ZjMi6YfRBTXyRZ7

Good morning SWSAT crew!

I was digging through the archives and found some pictures from my visit to the Mad River &NKP Museum in Bellevue, Ohio in 2012.

Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone!

Tom

Good morning fellow switcher fans!   Bob thanks for notching out the throttle to get us rolling!  Love the video of your 0-6-0 ( What a great sounding whistle! ) 70 tonner and the SW1 ... lots of action!!

The top two pics in today's post are from my visit to the Western NY Railroad Historical Society, in Hamburg NY,  the first weekend of August.  These pics were not included in my SWSAT post from a few weeks ago where I showed other pics from my visit there ... because at that time for some reason today's pics of the visit were not showing up on my phone at the time.

The remainder of my posted pics today are a " Salute to Railroad Switch Crew Labor".  I hope everyone has a joyful, safe, and healthy Labor Day Weekend!!  ENJOY!!!  ... and run some trains!

ALCO HH660 Western NY Historical Society.  Nicely done re-paint.  This locomotive is in operating condition.  HH stands for " high hood" and 660 for six hundred sixty horsepower.  

Builders plate.

28 year FSJR veteran brakeman Floyd Cephus stands back after pulling the uncoupling bar, as the Pennsy 44 tonner pulls forward.  The tank car has been set out on this siding due to a bad bearing.  The FSJR Car Dept has been notified.  The Car Dept crew will be along to make the repair in a few hours.  

Front and rear brakeman:  Floyd Cephus is back on the deck of the locomotive and rear brakeman Clint Kremer stands on the rear of the caboose.   After this way freight makes its next pick up there will be 7  freight cars separating these two brakeman.

On the service track, Hogger Bert James, with back to camera, stands back from his C-16 as he inspects the diminutive locomotive's running gear.  He's already oiled around as the tank was being filled with water.  Fireman Eddie Hinkley is asking Bert " Whatcha eat for supper last night Bert?  I hope the heck it wasn't that homemade chile with all that onion and garlic in it!"  Bert relies " Why do you ask Eddie?"  With a touch of both angst and fear in his voice Eddie replies " Cause it seems that every blasted time I'm assigned to fire for you chile is what you have for supper the night before.  And these C-16 cabs are small Bert!"  Bert looks directly at Eddie with a grin ... and a twinkle in his eye.  

@trumpettrain,

Patrick,

I was under the impression that railroad men were classy guys. After reading the details of the conversation between Bert and Eddie, I'm not so sure now... I used to think they talked about technical stuff like boiler pressure, water levels and cutoff angle. As usual, I guess I was mistaken.

MELGAR

Well SwSat fans, there has been a lot of postings on the Lionel 0-6-0 T locomotive so I thought I would join the party.  Mine is a few years old and except for smoke does not really have any sound effects but I love it.  It pulls great, runs smooth and goes around my 0-27 inner loop with no trouble.  So here is the Lionel #2295, PRR 0-6-0 T.

Don, I'm with you, I love that little Pennsy tank engine too!

@trumpettrain posted:

On the service track, Hogger Bert James, with back to camera, stands back from his C-16 as he inspects the diminutive locomotive's running gear.  He's already oiled around as the tank was being filled with water.  Fireman Eddie Hinkley is asking Bert " Whatcha eat for supper last night Bert?  I hope the heck it wasn't that homemade chile with all that onion and garlic in it!"  Bert relies " Why do you ask Eddie?"  With a touch of both angst and fear in his voice Eddie replies " Cause it seems that every blasted time I'm assigned to fire for you chile is what you have for supper the night before.  And these C-16 cabs are small Bert!"  Bert looks directly at Eddie with a grin ... and a twinkle in his eye.  

Too funny Patrick, let’s hope for Eddie’s sake there’s a good flow of fresh air thru the cab.🤢

Gene

@Don McErlean,

Don,

I used to think that my tracks were too close to the edge of my train table - about 1-1/4 inch (see photos). But, yours are even closer. Fortunately, nothing of mine has gone over the edge just yet.

MELGAR

@Strap Hanger posted:

Happy Labor Day edition of switcher Saturday and thanks again to Bob for kicking things off in JHZs absence. This week, we employed our switcher fleet to test an MTH caboose that was modified to prevent it from hopping over switches. The modifications were outlined on a different thread and this particular caboose would annoyingly jump when going over all 031 switches.  Applying the suggested tweaks really improved tracking, particularly over the most offending switch track.

Here is my boxcab taking the caboose for a successful front and back test run on a the turn part of this particularly switch track. You’ll notice some slight bumping but this is light years better than the unprototypical  hopping it would do on this switch (unfortunately  no before video) -

And here is my trusty 0-6-0 testing her on the straight track portion of this switch with equally superb results -

Fantastic improvement and decent tracking  for a previously annoying performance by this caboose.

I totally agree with Strap Hanger, and I had the same experience with an MTH Erie caboose and made the same adjustments as a result of which the performance of the caboose over 031 curves and 022 switches vastly improved.

@Tom Densel posted:

Good morning SWSAT crew!

I was digging through the archives and found some pictures from my visit to the Mad River &NKP Museum in Bellevue, Ohio in 2012.

Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone!

Tom

The Mad River and Nickel Plate Museum is well worth a visit if you’re in NW Ohio for Cedar Point or Put-In-Bay excursions. Not far inland at all all. I also suggest a stop to visit Pres. Rutherford B. Hayse’s 19th Century historic home in Fremont and, if you have time, to The Blue Hole (if it’s still open) for a shall-we-say “unique” Ohio experience!
Then, if time permits, bop over to Dearborn, MI for The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (with its own active railroad and shops). Remarkable place! This has the makings of a great week’s vacation.

MELGAR, I'm probably the luckiest guy on the Forum, because I had an engine go off the edge and it still runs and looks good today.  Moreover, it had nothing to do with the proximity of the track to the edge, bad track or excessive speed.

I was putting my Lionel 6-18009 Mohawk on the track by grasping the engine and tender together with the drawbar attached.  I put the engine on first; when moved the tender it flipped the engine off the layout onto the concrete floor!

When my heart started beating again I got the courage to pick the engine up.  To my amazement, I couldn't find any visible damage!  The news wasn't so good, however, when I tried to run it.  The motor seemed jammed and it refused to move.  An inspection revealed the sheet metal plate that holds the trailing truck was bent upward, jamming the armature.  Straightening the plate got her running well again.

Here's why I think the Mohawk survived the fall: 1) it hit my leg on the way down, breaking the fall.  I had a bruise to prove it, it's a heavy engine! 2) the engine hit trailing truck first and the sheet metal plate absorbed the impact.  I can't explain why the truck wasn't damaged.

To paraphrase a popular truck ad, my engine was "built Lionel tough"!

John

@Jerry Williams- Thanks for the comment Jerry.  I agree its a neat little engine especially for little layouts like mine.

@MELGAR-  Yes you are correct, the track is too close to the edge but the width constraints on the layout were severe.  The room layout plus its use by other family members set the maximum width and I took advantage of all I had to squeeze in an 0-27 loop inside of a slightly stretched (5" stretch) O-31 loop.  Biggest issue is not falling on the floor (hasn't happened yet and I am going on 3 years) but the fact that no space on the outside of the outer loop is very constraining on scenery and structures.  There is no depth to put anything (even my tunnel is on a curve where at least I get a little room on the outside) on the outside of the track.

@Dave Warburton - Dave great suggestions, especially the Henry Ford museum.  However I would add that a trip somewhat south to Dayton gives you the United States Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB.  This is just about the largest display of aircraft, aerospace equipment, rockets, and historical displays you can imagine...open 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day).

Best wishes everybody  Have a great weekend

Don

No pics today, management told the shippers and consignees to  take a flying leap, they'll get service on Tuesday.  The crew assigned to the local has the holiday weekend off.

Everyone follow their advice and enjoy Labor Day with family and friends.  Stay safe.

Happy Switcher Saturday and a Great Labor Day Weekend!

I am showing one of my favorite Locos, MTH NH 44 ton.

"The modifications were outlined on a different thread and this particular caboose would annoyingly jump when going over all 031 switches.  Applying the suggested tweaks really improved tracking, particularly over the most offending switch track."  Hey strap which thread outlined the modifications?

@coach joe posted:

"The modifications were outlined on a different thread and this particular caboose would annoyingly jump when going over all 031 switches.  Applying the suggested tweaks really improved tracking, particularly over the most offending switch track."  Hey strap which thread outlined the modifications?

Here it is Joe. I have a couple to do as well.

https://ogrforum.com/...c/177680360605875262

WBB PRR 44 tonner spotting hoppers at Seaboard Coaling crane.

@coach joe posted:

"The modifications were outlined on a different thread and this particular caboose would annoyingly jump when going over all 031 switches.  Applying the suggested tweaks really improved tracking, particularly over the most offending switch track."  Hey strap which thread outlined the modifications?

Bob beat me to it, coach. Those modifications, which consisted of bending the truck wire attachment down towards the track and oiling  everything, really made a huge difference.  

@Dave Warburton posted:

The Mad River and Nickel Plate Museum is well worth a visit if you’re in NW Ohio for Cedar Point or Put-In-Bay excursions. Not far inland at all all. I also suggest a stop to visit Pres. Rutherford B. Hayse’s 19th Century historic home in Fremont and, if you have time, to The Blue Hole (if it’s still open) for a shall-we-say “unique” Ohio experience!
Then, if time permits, bop over to Dearborn, MI for The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (with its own active railroad and shops). Remarkable place! This has the makings of a great week’s vacation.

A short trip east of Bellevue on Highway 20 takes you to forum sponsor Stockyard Express

Tom